J S Bach French Suite 6 in E major BWV 817 Minuet
Ingrid Haebler, pianist
The Minuet
--The seventeenth century brought one of the most celebrated dances in our history... The Minuet,aka Menuet. The minuet was originally derived from the Branle of Poitou, France and was to capture every King and Queen and their court for over 150 years. The Minuet was the successor to the Courante. The name Minuet comes from the small steps (menu=small) that are taken during the dance.
Most dances of the time had exaggerated steps and movements, the Minuet had very small steps and the movement was more on the graceful side.
